Automatic chair-fixture.



G. L. GRBILIGK.

AUTOMATIC CHAIR FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED 11:13.11, 1911.

1,032,202. Patented July 9,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wLGreL ZL cZZ INVENTOR lil lmhliin.

llll (Y WITNESSES ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAN; COOWASHINGTDN, 0.2.

G. L. GREILICK.

AUTOMATIC OHAIR FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1911.

1,032,202. Patented July9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY G. L. GREILIGK.

AUTOMATIC CHAIR FIXTURE.

APPLIOATION FILED mm. 11, 1911.

1,032,202. Patented July 9,1912.

3 SHBETB-SHBET 3.

ATTORNEY MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM G- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE I4. GREILICK, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 TRAVERSE CITY CHAIR COMPANY, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC CHAIR-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly9, 1912.

Application filed February 11, 1911 Serial No. 608,064.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. GREI- LICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Traverse City, in the county of Grand Traverse and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Automatic ChairFixture, of which the following is a,

I improve the construction of automatic fixtures for adjustably connecting the movable back'of achair with the body portion thereof, and to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive device, which may be easily applied to a chair and which will require less space between the movable back thereof and the leg or other vice is connected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic fixture of this character of great strength and durability, adapted particularly for use on knock-down constructions and havingno loose parts liable to be lost in shipment.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a Morris chair provided with an automatic fixture, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the fixture, showing the same applied to the rear leg and a portion of the back. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig.4. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the ratchet bar. Fig. 7 is a similar view ofthe supporting bracket. Fig. 8 is a perspective part to which the deview of an automatic chair fixture, showing another-form of the invention. Fig- 9 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view on the line l010 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a detail per spective view of the supporting bracket shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the automatic chair fixture, illustrating another form of the invention. Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a detail horizontal sectional view, showing another form of the horizontal supporting bracket. Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a portion of an automatic fixture having a vertical bracket. Fig. 17 1s a perspective view of the bracket shown in Fig. 16.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the automatic chair fixture comprises in its construction a horizontal supporting bracket 1 and a movable ratchet bar 2, mounted on the bracket and co-acting with a keeperB, which is secured to and carried by the back 4. The parts are designed to be constructed of steel, or other suitable metal, and the horizontal bracketl, which is secured to the rear leg 5 at the inner side thereof, is of angular formation and consists of an approximately L-shaped attaching portion 6 and Ta substantially L-shaped supporting portion 7. The attaching portion is fitted against the inner or front edge of the rear leg 5 and is secured to the same by screws, or other suitable fastening devices, and it may be applied to legs of one inch in thickness and upward. The supporting portion projects from the inner face of the leg and extends rearwardly in parallelism with the same, the rearwardly extending portion being spaced from the inner portion of the leg and provided with an opening consisting of a rounded bearing portion 8 and a reduced front portion 9, arranged horizontally and extending forwardly from the top of the circular bearing portion. The circular bearing portion is of a diameter to receive and permit rotary or pivotal movement of a substantiallyoblong pivot portion 10, flattened at the top and bottom to fit in the reduced front portion 9 of the opening of the. frame of} the back of the chair at the the supporting bracket. The ratchet bar is ,with, suitable head, 17., which. may consist 10f adisk 18,. secured to. a stud or reduced portion 19 of the pivot, as clearly illustnated in, Fig, 4 of the drawings, but any curved and the flattened. pivot portion. extendslaterally from the front end 11 of the ratchet bar, which is curved downward, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The pit/tot-.p ortio n 10, when moved forwardly into engagement with. the front'portion. 9; of the openingot the bearing bracket, supports the ratchet. bar in an elevated position; with its teeth.12 V

.trated in Flgs. S to 11 inclusive, the co-actabove and out of the plane of the engagingportion of the keeper 3. V The keeper 3,, which is v preferably in. the form. of a loop to receive the ratchet bar, has terminal attaching, portions. 13, which are secured. by screws or other suitable fastening devices to side edge of'tlie said: back. The teeth 120i the ratchet bar are located at, the lower edge thereof, and are shouldered at the front.

andnare adapted to engage with. the lower end of the loop; of thekeeper when the pivot portion IOis-in the enlarged bearing portion of the opening, and, theratchet bar is. free to drop' into engagement with. the bottom portion of the keeper. The rear end; 1d of.

5 by a suitable hinge 1 6, is adapt t0 be the ratchet bar is arranged. at an angleto: the body portion: of the ratchet barand projects downward when the ratchet is horizontal or in. a. substantially horizontal position. The teeth of the ratchetbar are: arranged in the curved series, the front end of which is locatedabove the plane of the pivot portion. The teeth are beveled at their bottom edges. or faces, and the back-of the chair, which is pivoted, between the legs moved upward, or forward freely, and when.

it is. raised to anv upright position, the bottom, of thekeeper engages the downwardly extending front terminal of. the ratchet bar, and carriest-he same forwardly, engaging. the flattened. or oblong. pivot port-ion with the reduced front portion or recess of the opening of the bearingbracket. This movement. also tilts the ratchet bar, and. swings the same upwardly, and when the said pivot portion is engaged with the bearing bracket,

the teethwillbe supported above and. out of the plane of the bottom of: the loop or keeper of the back, and the latter may then be swung rearwardly through the keeper,

engaging the'terminal port-ion ofv the ratchet bar. This moves the ratchet bar rearwardly and withdraws the pivot portion and causes the: ratchet barv to drop and rest upon the keeper. The chair back, may thenbe moved forward. to any of the positions allowedby the teeth, which may be of any desired;

number tosecure the requisite adjustment of the chair back. In the adjustment of the chair back, the fixture is entirely automatic,

the forward movementlifting' the ratchet bars, and the rearward movement releasing;

the ratchet bars and permitting them to r,e-, en ga g e. the keeper of the back. v

of a head 23.

The pivot of the ratchet bar is equipped other suitable ineansmay be employed for holding; the ratchet bar against lateral inovement on the supporting bracket.

In the embodiment of the invention illusing pivot and the bearing opening are reversed, the pivot portion being carried by the supporting bracket 21. Thesupporting bracket is angular and the pivot portion extends horizontally from one of: the sides or wings thereof, and is provided with: a. reduced portion or stud 252, for the attachment The ratchet bar, which. is

curved similarly tothe ratchet bar, heret'ofore described, haS an. enlarged front end 2 L, provided. with an, opening consisting of an, enlarged circular frontbearing portion 25,.

and a reduced; rear portion; 26,. extending horizontally from the back of the bearing [port-ion 25 midway between t'he'top and bot tom thereofi The ratchet. bar is provided with a. rear-hook shaped terminal 27 and cooperat'eswith. the kee'per 3,. The forward or upward: movement of the back elevatesthe ratchet bar and; moves the same forward and engages the pivot portion: of the bracket with the rear reduced portion 26'. of? the. opening. The downwardv and rearward movement; of the back engagesthekeeper 3 with the rear hook-shaped terminal 27= and carriesthe ratchet bar rearwandly sufficient to; disengage the pivot portion; from, the re,- duced portion ofthe opening. The back will then be-raised to. any. of its. several; ad'- justments. The bearing portion of the bracket 21 may be formed: by, splitting; the;

sideor wing. of" the bracket from: the upper edge to about the center-of. such side,, and:

then bending: the partially severed. portion of metal downwardly to a horizontal position; as shown. The-bracketmay', ho,wever, be formed, in any. other suitable manner. The pivot portion20" projects from the in nor, face of the rear leg; and is arranged; at, the rear end of" the side or wing of the bracket. v

In- Figs. lt and: 15, is also. illustrated a horizontal approximately Lrshaped. supporting bracket 28, composed of two angularly related, sides or wings: and, provided with, a

horizontal pivot.portionflg projecting from.

the inner face ofonev of the sides or wings,

and, located at point intermediateof the ends thereof. Also in this-form of; the in.- vention, the, metal is. cutor; split from: the,- lower edge ofthesideor wing. The bearing portion. is provided with a reduced stud 30, designedto receivea .headz31.

In Figs; 12 and". 13. of the; drawings is. illustratedanother form offthe inventionin which the ratchet bar 32 is provided with an opening and is supported by a vertical bracket, consisting of a plate 33 and a substantially oblong loop 34-, secured to the plate. The terminals 34* of the loop are re duced and are secured in openings 33* of the plate 33. The opening of the ratchet bar consists of a front circular bearing portion 35 and a reduced rear portion 36. The circular bearing portion is of a size to receive the upper end of the loop of the bearing bracket, the upper end constituting the oblong pivot portion and being engageable with the rear reduced portion 36 of the opening.

In Figs. 16 and 17 is illustrated a vertical supporting bracket 37 consisting of a lower attaching portion and an upper supporting portion, the bracket being provided at an intermediate point with a bend 38, which offsets the upper supporting portion from the inner face of the leg to which the lower portion is secured by screws, or other supporting devices. The upper supporting portion is provided at its inner face with an inwardly extending pivot portion 39, having a reduced stud 40 for the attachment of a head 41. The pivot portion 39 is arranged in a horizontal position and cooperates with a ratchet bar 42, which is engaged by a keeper, the operation being automatic, as heretofore explained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automatic chair fixture including a fixed supporting bracket, a keeper designed to be mounted on the back of a chair, and a movable ratchet bar coacting with the keeper and mounted on the bracket, said bracket and ratchet bar having co-acting interlocking bearing and pivot portions arranged to support the ratchet bar in an inoperative position with its teeth out of engagement with the keeper.

2. An automatic chair fixture including'afixed supporting bracket, a movable ratchet bar mounted on the supporting bracket, one of the parts having a flat pivot portion, and the other part being provided with a hearing opening receiving the fiat pivot and adapted to permit pivotal movement of the ratchet bar and provided with a reduced extension adapted to receive the pivot portion, whereby the ratchet bar is interlocked with the bracket for supporting the former in an elevated position, and a keeper designed to be secured to the back of a chair and arranged to engage with the ratchet bar.

3. An automatic chair fixture including a fixed supporting bracket, a keeper designed to be mounted on the back of a chair and consisting of a loop, and a ratchet bar mounted on the supporting bracket and extending through the loop of the keeper and having terminal engaging portions, said ratchet bar and bracket having co-acting interlocking bearing and pivot portions arranged to support the ratchet bar in an inoperative position wit-h its teeth out of engagement with the keeper, the latter operating between the terminal portions of the ratchet bar and arranged to contact with the said terminal portions to move the ratchet bar into engagement with the bracket and out of interlocked relation with the same.

4. An automatic chair fixture including a supporting bracket having a flat pivot portion, a movable ratchet bar provided with teeth and having a bearing opening receiving the pivot portion of the supporting bracket and provided with a reduced portion, which is arranged to receive the pivot portion of the bracket for holding the ratchet bar'with its teeth in an inoperative position, and a keeper engageable with the teeth of the ratchet bar.

5. An automatic chair fixture including a fixed bearing bracket having a flat horizontally projecting pivot portion provided with a reduced stud, a ratchet member having a bearing opening receiving the pivot and provided with a reduced extension engageable with the pivot, a keeper cooperating with the ratchet bar, and means mounted on the stud for retaining the ratchet bar on the pivot portion of the supporting bracket.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE L. GREILICK.

Witnesses:

HERBERT D. GAGE, R. E. LYLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

